The Press Saturday, December 31, 1921. From Dark to Dawn.

Press, Volume LVII, Issue 17342, 31 December 1921, Page 8

The Press Saturday, December 31, 1921. From Dark to Dawn.

' The year that to-night passes into e History leaves the world more cheerfully hopeful than",it was twelve months ago, and than it has been .for most of | -- the time eiuoe we bade the New Year welcome. Its oourse has been marked 1 b# trouble and unrest in almost every a part of the globe, such as were the in- * evitable aftermath of the years of war. :! The year has been one of incessant outbreaks ofwar on a small scale, arising . inaome oases out of dissatisfaction :■with the Treaty of Peace,''and caused * in other instances by national and racial , feuda and jealousies. The reaction from i the: feverish commercial activity that followed the'dose of the war led to marked disturbance of trade and serious depression. .Markets fell, production. was checked, and, as a result, ua- ' employment and industrial unrest have been a marked feature of the year. In the case of Qxeat Britain,' Ireland* . and Egypt have fnnushed ckuaei. for anxiety. Tto condition of land eojith of Ulster wasoneofcon-: tinual guerrilla warfare between the forpea of Siqp. Fein arid those: of the Government. Of later developments

we shall speak further on. In India the non-co-operation movement initiated by Gandhi has been carried on without cessation, and the campaign is being waged with undiminished vigour, while in the south the Mop'ahs in Malabar broke into revolt in August, and have been repressed with some difficulty. The visit to India of the Ihiko of Connaught, who inaugurated at Delhi the new Legislative Council, was an incident of note, though the' measure of self-government, of which the ceremony was the visible sign, has not yet, owing to the disaffection prevailing in some parts, had the hopedfor result. In spite, however, o0 the efforts of Giindhi and his followers, the Prince of Wales has been welcomed warmly by the native population in most of the districts he has visited during his present tour of India, and as on his visit to Canada and Australia, he has impressed all with whom he has come in contact by the charm of his personality. Once again there are widespread disturbances in Egypt, where Nationalist feeling, consequent on the breakdown of the London negotiations, which a few weeks ago gave promise of complete self-government for the country, is expressing itself in outbreaks of violence. The situation is one of gravity, and martial law is in force. Elsewhere in the Empire nothing of a disturbing nature has occurred. The South African elections, fought largely on the issue of separation or the maintenance of the Imperial tie, resulted in a brilliant victory for the loyalists, led by General Smuts, while the Canadian elections, in which national questions were the chief issues, saw the crushing defeat of the Prime Minister, Mr Meighen. The Imperial Conference held in June and July dealt with a considerable number of important questions, the larger place which Hie Dominions secured in the Federation of the Empire, owing to their service and sacrifices during the wax, being indicated by the attention that was given to the views of the Overseas Premiers. Throughout the year, the industrial and commercial position at Home, as elsewhere, has been gloomy. Unemployment has been rife, owing to the serious depression in trade and the situation was greatly aggravated by the coal-miners' strike in April which Ensued on the decontrol of coal by the Government. The strike lasted for three months—at one moment, when it seemed probable chat the railwaymen and transport workers would throw in their lot with the strikers the country was menaced with a crisis of the gravest nature. Fortunately this peril was averted. An event of outstanding importance in Europe was the Allies' Conference held in Paris in January, to discuss Geramn reparations and German disarmament, It required some plain speaking to induce the German delegates to accept the Allies' views, hut eventually an agreement was reached, though Germany, after making one of the stipulated payments, is now seeking a way out of meeting her obligations. Germany bus been in a somewhat disturbed condition commercially, and has passed through a period of wild speculationf but there is evidence that her trade is steadily improving, and the political situation seems to be steadying down. The plebiscite regarding the division of Upper Silesia threatened trouble . at one time and caused acute feeling between France'' and Britain, while fighting 'took place between Poles and Germans in the disputed area. The problem, after causing anxiety for some time, was eventually referred to the League of Nations Interest in Bussia has been confined largely to the appalling famine, which involves many millions of people, and to Leriin's renunciation of tho policy on which Soviet rule was founded. Tho atteihpt to foment a world revolution has' Seen abandoned in favour of a policy of promoting trade between Bussia and the reßt of the world. Various anti-Bolshevist risings took place during the year at' points as far distant as Kronstadt and Vladivostok. ■ Fighting has taken place in various other parts of the world. Greece foil out with Turkey over certain provisions in the Treaty of Sevres which affected Thrace and Smyrna and hostilities between the two countries which ended in a serious set-back to 'Greece when ■ success seemed 'within her reach, have not yet settled the '■ dispute. In Morocco the Spanish had a difficult task in suppressing a revolt by the Moors, and at least, four Central American republics have engaged in military operations ag<uiis' their neighbours. Austria's condition has improved little, and the political situation in Central Europe was not bettered by the two unsuccessful attempts by the ex-Emperor .Karl to seat himself once more on the throne of Hungary. In the United States President Harding has had to deal in the first few'nionth3 of office with the untoward rendition accruing from widespread unemployment. An interesting development in Mesopotamia arising out of our occupation of that country has been its elevation to the dignity of an Arab Kingdom, now known as Irak, under the rule of Emir Feisul, a firm friend of the British. The year has not been nt all a happy one for New Zealand, for the slump in the markets for our produce has gravely affected xhe wholo country. The producers have wen losses take the place of the profits of rc;-ent years, money has been "tight", and though in some respects the position is certainly mending the -Dominion has yet Bome way to go before it tegaiiiß normal pre-war conditions. . . It was not until the last quarter 1 of the year that there was any appearance of that. brighter dawn to i which the heading of this article refers. : For tha. greater part of the year, as we have shown, the world was troubled and disturbed, bad trade induced the i j acute labour' unrest, and a sour and

angry spirit was common in international dealings. But in the last month or two the outlook has changed. The opening of the Ulster Parliament by King George was marked by an impressive appeal by his Majesty that Irishmen should "forgive and forget." This was followed immediately by an invitation by Mr Lloyd George to Mr de Valera and Sir James Craig, the leaders respectively of Sinn Fein and . Ulster, to meet him in conference, with the object of "exploring to the utmost the possibility of a settlement." Pre- ' vious meetings between Lord Derby and Mr de Valera on one occasion, and Sir Jamps Craig and Mr de Valera on | another, had ended fruitlessly. MrL'oyd i George's invitation, however, led eventually to the London conference, which ended so happily a few weeks ago in the signature of a treaty by which the ; Irish delegates accepted the British ; offer to Ireland of the status of a self- , governing Dominion, subject, of course, 1 to the Crown. This agreement, which ' was only reached after frequent imminent risks of a rupture in the negotiations had been surmounted by the infinite patience and untiring perseverance of the Prime Minister, has yet to be accepted by the Dail Eireann, but its ratification, in spite of the strong opposition of the Sinn Fein "diehards,'' is almost a foregone conclusion. The solution of the long-standing diffi- j culty was hailed with gratification j throughout the world. The only event i of the .year that ranks with it in im- j portanre is the Conference at Washing- ( ton. where, on the invitation of Presi- i dent Harding, delegates, of the chief ' nations assembled early in November to discuss the limitation of armaments, , in the interests of the world's peace and the lightening of the burden of taxation on the nations concerned. If not all the high hopes that have been formed during the sittings of this historic Conference are likely to be fulfilled, it can at least be said that the actual results are greater than at the outset most people dared to anticipate. The reduction in tho capital ships owned by Britain, America, Japan, France, and Italy, and \the decision t ■to refrain for ten years from further i c building, mark an immense advance to- ) wards disarmament, and, coupled with ! the "Four-Power Pact" between the first four of the above-mentioned j Powers, which ensures peace in the Pacific, and gets rid of the Anglo- 1 Japanese Alliance, which was undoubtedly resented by the United i States, makes the Conference the most memorable in modern, if j not m all, history. If the Conference, as Beems probable, di}es no i more, it will still have achieved great ] fhings. The agreements arrived at by ; the delegates, together with that af- : fecting Ireland, and the indications of returning prosperity that are gradually j presenting themselves, combine to war- 1 rant confidence that the night of - gloom 1b passing, and the dawn of J brighter and better days is breaking. The wish that we extend to all our readers, that they may enjoy a happy ' New Year, is therefore not merely the j conventional formula of the season, < but the expression of a sincere hope that rests on well-founded convictions, 1 » 1 such as inspires the Prime Minister's ( message to the Dominion. i i ~5 I